The Gold Standard

By Paul Lukas, on March 25th, 2011

Twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend, four times is a rule. So now it’s official: If you’re the defending World Series champion in an odd-numbered year, you’re obliged to start the season by wearing a gold-trimmed uniform.

This phenomenon began with the Red Sox in 2005, although they only wore the gold-trimmed design for their ring ceremony before their home opener (they switched to regular jerseys for the game). Two years later, the Cardinals pulled the same stunt, only they actually wore the gold-accented jerseys for the game (can’t find a photo, sorry). Ditto for the Phillies in ’09.

Last month I reported a rumor about the Giants jumping on this bandwagon. According to that article, the special jerseys would have “more gold on them then the normal home jerseys, specifically around the lettering.” Sounds like the same thing the other teams were doing, right?

• Although you can’t see it in the photo, I’m told that the uni numbers are gold as well.

• One slight difference from the Bosox, Cards, and Phils: The Giants’ home opener is on April 8, but the gold-lettered jerseys are slated to be worn the following evening, April 9, because that’s when the players will receive their World Series rings.

• My understanding is that they’ll be wearing the jerseys for the game, not just for the ring ceremony.

• I assume they’ll also be wearing this gold-logo cap, although the team hasn’t confirmed that for me yet.

• This San Francisco Examiner article mentions that the gold lettering is “a privilege given only to reigning World Series champions.” Someone in the Giants’ PR office told me the same thing yesterday, which means some clown in marketing must have come up with it, and now everyone’s repeating it and the media’s swallowing it whole. Yeah, right, as if there’s some official rule about this. By the way, did you hear that the “G” on the Packers’ helmet stands for “Greatness”?

As for the jersey itself, I dunno. It’s not unattractive, but it smacks a bit of hubris, no? Plus the gold thing seems like such a rote, predictable approach at this point. Yes, I know, I know — gold is appropriate because San Francisco has the Golden Gate bridge, right? Except the bridge isn’t really gold — it already matches the Giants’ shade of orange.

Anyway, this all feels like a huge missed opportunity, because the Giants were the team that pioneered the concept of defending champions’ uniforms in the first place (I guess nobody told them reigning champions are supposed to use gold lettering). Wouldn’t it be awesome if they went with that 1906 design as a throwback on Opening Day? But no, they had to go for the gold. Boorrring!

IMPORTANT! Membership news: For a variety of reasons not worth going into here, I’m switching to a new print shop for the production of our Uni Watch membership cards. The good news is that I’ve found an excellent shop that’s even closer to my house than the one we’d been using. Really nice staff, too — they Get It™.

The bad news is that they’re significantly more expensive than the place I was using before. So I’ve reluctantly decided to raise the membership enrollment fee from $15 to $20 — but not until the end of this month. So if you’ve been meaning to sign up and want to avoid the price hike, do it now. The new pricing will go into effect on April 1 (no foolin’).

My continued thanks to everyone who’s made the membership program such a fun project over the past four years (including Trevor Banks, whose 1996 Blue Jays Canada Day treatment is shown above). Looking forward to more.

+ + + + +

Spring cleaning: Guess what I found while poking around in the Uni Watch HQ basement yesterday: an extra box of T-shirts featuring a the commingling of a certain team name and a certain protein-based foodstuff. So if you wanna get in on that, get in touch.

ESPN reminder: In case you missed it yesterday, my latest ESPN column, about the White Sox’s 1981 uni-design contest, is available here.

Contest reminder: I’m currently sponsoring a design contest to create a logo for the Baseball Project. Full details here.

205 comments to The Gold Standard

And it doesn’t really smack of hubris at all. It’s not like there’s any dispute about who won the most recent World Series. The Giants did. Since winning the World Series is the whole point of playing each season, acknowledging the fact of being the reigning champion isn’t hubris.

Personally, I wish this sort of thing would be the norm every year, and I say kudos to the Giants for going all in with the gold lettering, not just a little gold trim. Now if only we could persuade them, or the next team that wins the Series, to make some kind of reigning-champion decoration part of the uniform all season, home and road. Sleeve patch, gold letters, special hat, whatever. When the Giants come to Washington to play the Nats, a series I try to make most seasons because (A) I love the Giants unis and (B) no Phillies fans in attendance, I want them to look like the World Champions. More fun to root against them that way. If they beat the Nats, fine, they’re the champs and what do you expect. And if the Nats win, hey lookee “we” just took down the champs. Giving opposing fans that chance isn’t hubris, it’s generosity.

=bg=|
March 25, 2011 at 6:30 pm |

I think they’re terrible looking. A little gold trim around the outside of the logo- yes I am aware a discreet amount already exists- and a bit around the SF on the cap…and that’s it.

Normally the Giants are a first class organization, but this is just too much.

Bas|
March 25, 2011 at 7:47 am |

that is Southern University of Baton Rouge, not Southeastern Louisiana wearing the odd batting helmets.

LI Phil|
March 25, 2011 at 10:22 am |

thanks. now fixed

Ricko|
March 25, 2011 at 7:52 am |

From the ASU student story on the Brewers’ equipment guys…”The easiest to clean are Nikes’ with metal hooks on the bottom. The hardest are Nikes’ with plastic hooks.”

What, the Brewers dangle their feet in the water and go fishin’?

—Ricko

Ricko|
March 25, 2011 at 8:09 am |

Does make the idea of “hook slide” really nasty, though.

Come to think of it, does anyone if even KNOW what a hook slide is anymore?

Wisch|
March 25, 2011 at 2:13 pm |

I do. We used to practice it in high school to prepare for avoiding tags. That and the “Put and Take” where we’d pull back our inside arm and reach for the bag with the outside arm.

“Would be better if the Giants n’ all didn’t peddle the gold-trimmed jerseys and hats, letter there be some things you actually have to be a player to own”

You mean like a ring?

Ricko|
March 25, 2011 at 10:55 am |

So adding a one-day celebratory jersey to the list of things fans can’t just go out and buy is bad?

Poor, deprived fans. “But I participated, I WATCHED them win it all. Doesn’t that mean I get to have a special jersey, too?”

—Ricko

JTH|
March 25, 2011 at 11:16 am |

It’s standard procedure nowadays for pretty much everyone who’s connected with the team down to the receptionists, filing clerks, etc. to get a ring, no?

You could make the argument that ticket-buying, sponsor-supporting fans were every bit as important to the team as any of those folks, so why shouldn’t they be allowed to wear the jerseys?

KT|
March 25, 2011 at 11:53 am |

Depends on the sport and the team, I think. I have known franchises who have given rings to the “main” people that were really top-drawer, slightly less-expensive rings to those below that level and allowed those below that to buy their own if they so desired. And I’m sure there are teams who still pony up for everybody from president to janitor to get rings, I don’t believe absolutely everybody in all organizations to get a top-of-the-line version of the ring.

Ricko|
March 25, 2011 at 12:03 pm |

Because the fans essentially are interchangeable.

Fans in seats are important, but it doesn’t matter exactly WHOSE butt is in the seat. If any person leaves, most any other fan can take his/her place. That’s because their input is, relatively speaking and in this context, indirect.

Conversely, players and others who work for the club have direct input.

Wakeup call to even the biggest of fans. No matter how hard you try, and no matter how much team-color blood you say you bleed, you ain’t part of the team, and you never will be.

Yes, taken en masse–as a group noun–players do see their Fans as “part of the team”. But not as individuals. They don’t know your name. Or need to. Sorry if that deflates anyone’s balloon, but it’s fact.

It would have little impact if, say, Phil went to a Mets game with a sign reading,
PLAY HARD, MEN; PHIL IS HERE.

Shareholders (this one’s a woman’s ring, I don’t have any pictures of the man’s version)

Chris Holder|
March 25, 2011 at 1:51 pm |

I don’t know about the rest of you, but… the next time I go to a game, whether it be professional, college, hell, even Little League… I am taking a version of Ricko’s “PLAY HARD” sign. That’s awesome.

Peter Wunsch|
March 25, 2011 at 12:47 pm |

My dad was a NY Giants fan; brought me up to root for them even though they moved West. I rearranged a trip and bought tix for Game 1 so I be there when they raise the championship flag and get their rings.

But they are celebrating on Game 2 when I could have attended, but now cannot

Zedar|
March 25, 2011 at 4:40 pm |

Flag is going up before the home opener, ring ceremony is before game 2 of the season. You’ll see the flag go up.

What? Obviously that’s a prototype, but was that just trotted out at Soxfest or something and they decided not to have them made up? Or did they actually have them made up for the team and then change their minds about wearing them?

• those who designed & made it
• the person who pristinely maintained it/photographed it
• the person who found the pic!

This proves not all things from Boston are total [transmission garbled].

Chris Holder|
March 25, 2011 at 9:13 am |

As a current (Atlanta) Braves fan… that jersey is gorgeous. I wish they would throwback to it sometime. Though I’m afraid they’d take the portrait off the back and stick a name and number on there instead. Still, I agree with everything you said. Bravo (pun intended).

The picture of Pedro Martinez from the Smithsonian IS in fact a Red Sox uniform. The 2006 Dominican WBC uni’s have double piping on the sides and sleeves (blue and red). The Domicanican Flag is most likely from the MLB/Japan All Star Series that used to occur prior to the WBC. Also, since Martinez was a member of the Mets starting in 2005, he would have never worn a Red Sox hat in 2006 with how he left Boston.

Note I’m having a near impossible time finding a website to confirm a roster for the All Star Series that he participated in.

Ryan Harrington|
March 25, 2011 at 9:42 am |

If you read the article, it says that the portrait was painted in 2000. Obviously, this means the WBC was a non-factor. Could it be that the artist added the Dominican flag patch as a way to incorporate Pedro’s heritage?

Jon|
March 25, 2011 at 8:32 am |

“How did a Columbus Blue Jackets sweatshirt end up with an NFL logo tag? Jason Hillyer spotted that at a Marshall’s in Phoenix.”

You answered your own question. IT WAS AT MARSHALL’S.

Jim Vilk|
March 25, 2011 at 11:10 am |

I would have guessed Gabriel Brothers. You can find some great stuff there…right next to the occasional t-shirt that has NFL, NHL and MLB logos printed on the same shirt. My brother even has a UNLV back-to-back champions shirt, even though they only won one in a row. Guess that shirt missed the boat for the Third World.

Hmmm, someone should DIY shirts for teams who lose the big game. For instance, “Texas Rangers, 2010 Third World Champions.”

Jason Hillyer|
March 25, 2011 at 2:28 pm |

I like Gabriel Bros, too. A new adventure each visit.

Prentice|
March 25, 2011 at 8:37 am |

Hey, that striped batting helmet pic is not Southeastern Louisiana, it’s Southern University in Baton Rouge. No biggy though, I only mention because SU is my alma mater.

Andy|
March 25, 2011 at 8:47 am |

So, wearing a gold trimmed uniform smacks of hubris, but wearing one that says ‘World’s Champions’ across the chest is perfectly humble?

Michael Hulcher|
March 25, 2011 at 9:06 am |

Sure, but at least it has some historical precedent. And it’s sort of so in-your-face that it’s kind of funny. The whole gold thing is sort of stupid. Especially for one game. If you’re going to strut – go all the way!

Chris Holder|
March 25, 2011 at 9:17 am |

I agree. I know we’ve lamented on here plenty of times about the lack of creativity in today’s uniforms, but this is just a perfect example. I’m willing to bet that the club would sell MORE of the 1906 throwbacks if they were to make them, than they ever will of these gold unis that they’ll probably put a price premium on vs. a standard jersey. It’s just utter and complete laziness, especially from a sports league that values tradition so much.

Andy|
March 25, 2011 at 11:27 am |

I’m sure they would sell more 1906 throwbacks, and I honestly think that’s what they should do, but I’m confused how the one is hubris but not the other.

JTH|
March 25, 2011 at 12:18 pm |

Who’s saying it’s not hubris? The way I read it is basically, “if you’re going to pat yourself on the back, don’t half-ass it.”

chris|
March 26, 2011 at 12:23 am |

Feels like the few times I’ve toured Busch Stadium, theyve shown their WORLD CHAMPIONS jerseys from way way back (with World Champions or Champs on the chest), and they said after those jerseys, the league passed a rule saying that it couldn’t say World Champions like that anymore, but that design elements could be altered (like the gold) or a patch on the sleeve. I could be wrong, but I swear they said it. It was from like the 20’s. Could’ve been the Gashouse Gang.

Steve Naismith|
March 25, 2011 at 8:51 am |

“This San Francisco Examiner article mentions that the gold lettering is “a privilege given only to reigning World Series champions.” Someone in the Giants’ PR office told me the same thing yesterday, which means some clown in marketing must have come up with it, and now everyone’s repeating it and the media’s swallowing it whole. Yeah, right, as if there’s some official rule about this.”

I think “privilege” is the right way to phrase it – do you think if the Orioles wanted to wear gold trimmed jerseys for one game only, that the league would OK it?

Dwayne|
March 25, 2011 at 1:56 pm |

Imagine…if you will…the 201_ New York Mets winning the World Series….

Fast forward to Opening Day of the next year…

and the Mets wearing jerseys with the following:

Lettering with orange, trimmed in blue, drop shadowed by black, trimmed in gold…..

Welcome to…..The Twilight Zone.

tomservaux96|
March 25, 2011 at 9:05 am |

Love the Feller patch, but the ten-year-old in me thinks that the number placement makes it look as if The Heater from Van Meter is, um, “dropping a nineteen.”

“A sports radio station in Oxford, Mississippi, that calls itself the Ox has adopted a logo that’s pretty much a straight knock-off of the Houston Texans logo. “I don’t even think it’s an ox, either,” says Jason Cimon. ”

The logo originally looked that way because its host is former Ole Miss, Dolphin, Redskin, Jaguar and TEXAN RT Todd Wade. However, I think the NFL or the Texans made them change the logo. They don’t use it anymore, as you can see here:

Nice to see the Ditch the Black / TRUE METS = BLUE METS campaign extend beyond Uni Watch. But let’s not get our hopes up. Over the last 10 years we’ve seen sign after sign that the black might be going away, and every time we’ve been disappointed.

Although, to be fair, the Mets wore blue a lot more often at home last year than they have in any other year since ’97, including ’06 which was the only other time we saw the blue caps more than once every other homestand.

As I’ve said before, I could deal with retaining the black drop-shadow if the black caps, socks and undersleeves would go away; i.e., if the drop-shadow was the only black on the uniform. I could also deal with the all-whites being the home uniform and the off-white pinstripes being an occasional home alternate, just so long as both are only worn with blue caps. And I agree with one of the posters on the Mets Police page; keep selling the black jerseys and caps if you want to, just don’t wear them on the field.

The Mets need to go back to the 1995-97 uniforms. That’s the bottom line. Maybe Alderson et al. will Get It™.

JTH|
March 25, 2011 at 10:33 am |

“The Mets need to go back to the 1995-97 uniforms. That’s the bottom line.”

That’s a beautiful set. I remember being thrilled when they switched back to those, and I’m not even a Mets fan.

Richard|
March 25, 2011 at 8:26 pm |

I prefer the 1965-73 set. In fact I like those years’ unis for just about every team that existed in the late sixties.

Graf Zeppelin|
March 25, 2011 at 9:45 pm |

It’s the same uniform, except with modern fabrics, NOB and sans-serif numerals.

Brian C|
March 25, 2011 at 10:34 am |

“…most of the guys in the clubhouse would love to ditch the black [uniforms and trim] and go with a blue alternate instead….we have a new clubhouse guy and he asked Dave [Howard] about it. Dave told him it was purely a marketing decision, that the black sells.”

And this is news how? Everyone knows the marketing wankers make the uniform decisions (grr…)

And I think the Mets should drop all the black, uniforms and trim, and go back to the classic look that made them a good looking team if not always a good team.

Jim Vilk|
March 25, 2011 at 10:57 am |

Just ditch the black from the game unis, but continue to sell black ones for the fans. I’m guessing most BFBS fans would still buy them.

Oh wow, haven’t seen that Blues jersey since my wife bought one. And she paid a LOT less for it. At Marshall’s, I think.

Rob S|
March 25, 2011 at 12:43 pm |

I actually own the Red Wings one – well, the original Starter version, anyway. Got it for Christmas one year, and it’s the only BFBS item I own.

The Devils one looked good, compared to some of the other ones they did.

I remember some of the other Starter black jerseys. The Flyers, for instance, had one that had an orange collar, orange cuffs with black piping, and an orange hemline stripe. The Nike-introduced version worn on the ice had significantly less orange; a black collar, black cuffs with orange piping, and no hemline stripe.

concealed78|
March 25, 2011 at 1:35 pm |

god damn… those all look like total shit.

walter|
March 25, 2011 at 4:59 pm |

No, I like the Red Wings sweater. I admit, I’m an iconoclast.

Rob S|
March 25, 2011 at 8:02 pm |

The NFL BFBS jerseys were total garbage.

Sad thing is, the Lions went and wore a black jersey in games anyway. With blue numbers. And that’s terrible. (About as terrible as the team itself, considering this was the Millen era…)

Gusto44|
March 25, 2011 at 12:49 pm |

We can’t overlook how team success is linked to uniform styles and colors, especially to the fan base of that particular franchise. The Mets certainly had a spike in merchandise sales in 2000 with the recently added black to the color scheme. In the years to follow, the Mets expected to continue that success, and the fan base had good memories of that uniform set. Not surprising to see more momentum now to a return with the traditional colors and uniform.

Nostalgia always plays a role, the 1983 White Sox uniforms are a great example. The fond memories of mostly White Sox fans of those uniforms are inevitably tied to that ’83 club. That was the first Chisox team since 1959 to reach the postseason, hence the fond memories looking back all these years later.

I’ve been alerted to the fact that the Portland Timbers (when they were in USL-1, before MLS) retired Clive Charles’ #3, either right before or right after he passed away. But I can’t think of any other outdoor soccer teams in this country who’ve retired numbers. I’m sure there’s been some, I just can’t for the life of me come up with any. Most NASL teams weren’t around long enough to do it, and while many MLS teams have been around at least 10 years, if not the whole 16, it just hasn’t been done (to my knowledge) before now.

#10 was retired during the festivities at his final game with the Cosmos (some accounts say at halftime, but I don’t know if that’s a Wikipedia creation).

The Cosmos will keep it retired, I’m sure.

KT|
March 25, 2011 at 12:02 pm |

There’s no real hard-and-fast rule about how long someone has to play for a team before he can have his number retired. Stone Johnson never played a regular season game, I don’t believe, but the Chiefs retired his number (special case, obviously, death is a different category).

The thing about soccer is the #10 is iconic and traditional, and it would be very rare for a club to take that out of service entirely. The honor of wearing the #10 is more something to be passed on than held out in honor of just one person.

All that said, no one actually wore #10 for the Cosmos after Pele (http://www.nasljerse...), so perhaps they did. After all, that’s a tough act to follow. It’ll be interesting to see what they do if and when FC Page Views ever returns to the field in an actual league.

Jim Vilk|
March 25, 2011 at 11:38 am |

You mean the Dallas Sidekicks retired all those numbers, but not Tatu’s?? Inconceivable!

KT|
March 25, 2011 at 11:57 am |

I think the team folded before they could get a chance to do it. He played for them up until 2003 (and was their player-coach from 1998 on) and the team only existed one more year. I am not sure he ever officially closed the door on playing (though he didn’t play in their last season), or perhaps he didn’t want them to retire it right away.

In any case, he would (obviously) have been deserving of the honor, as would David Doyle.

DJ|
March 25, 2011 at 5:42 pm |

The reason soccer teams have not retired too many numbers is because for a very long time, players did not have assigned squad numbers. The numbers related to the position being played and were assigned from game to game. In recent years, leagues in Europe began adopting the “squad number” concept, where each player was assigned a number to wear throughout the season (with his name on the back as well). Since then, a number of teams have retired numbers (AC Milan has retired 6 for Francisco Baresi and 3 for Paolo Maldini, for example).

KT|
March 25, 2011 at 6:11 pm |

That’s one reason. Another reason it’s not done is the concept itself is fairly American (Gehrig was the first one, I do believe).

And RSL’s GM went off on a bit of a jingoistic rant when asked about the whole kerfuffle.

Just a trivial fact. The Cardinals wore their gold trimmed jerseys for the entire first series of the 2007 season (3 games). That series was against the Mets, a rematch of the NLCS.
I remember because I was worried that if they made the change for the entire season they would lose and not make the playoffs. Well, the Cards were swept in that series and they didn’t make the playoffs that year either.

Don’t forget they haven’t won a playoff game since! Very un-St. Louis-like.

Jeff Ryder|
March 25, 2011 at 11:30 am |

At least the Giants aren’t going full out and doing something really stupid like adopting the Padres Sand/Gold color uniform and using that for the day in place of their absolutely fabulous cream home unis.

1. I like the gold and wouldn’t mind seeing this be an unwritten tradition. It’s subtle and for just a finite number of games. I’m cool with it. (Love that SF hat too).

2. That being said, World’s Champions revision would have been BOSS.

3. Hubris, I don’t know. It’s not like the Yankees are asking to put 27 time world series champs on their hats on a permanent basis, or the Steelers want to put six time super bowl champs on their jerseys for every season. Plus there is precedent as not only the Giants, but more recently, the Philadelphia Flyers had small Stanley Cup patches on their jerseys following their wins in ’74 and ’75.

4. That ump must be hanging with Jonas Hiller….best goalie mask in hockey.

5. That Braves pic, GORGEOUS.

Aaron|
March 25, 2011 at 12:06 pm |

I’m also a fan of the gold. A nice way to celebrate without going over the top for me. I wouldn’t mind seeing it in a lot of games, either. Maybe even the first half of the season, then back to the original after the All-Star break.

the saints wore a patch the first game, or first couple games after winning the super big game bowl, right?

and c’mon kek, “best goalie mask in hockey”, puh-lease!!!

(my to favs this season, ryan miller & tim thomas)

inkracer|
March 25, 2011 at 11:40 am |

Just a note on the F1 tire colors.
For years now Formula One has been trying to generate more passing, to try and help this (and also to mandate pit stops when they did away with in-race refueling starting last season) 2 different tire compounds are used in a race weekend. Bridgestone solved this problem buy putting a green ring around the outside of the softer compound. Pirelli has decided to have the lettering on each compound be different. It will be interesting if they use the hardest two compounds in the same weekend, as the are colored white and silver.

Mark M|
March 25, 2011 at 3:47 pm |

If they hold to previous season’s guidelines the tires are always two grades apart. Thus the hard and medium would never be used together.

The one exception I recall is that they allowed Bridgestone to bring the soft and super soft to Monaco. Given that those two grades (red and yellow) are easily distinguished I suspect that is the plan again.

Chris Cruz|
March 25, 2011 at 7:19 pm |

F1 isn’t the first racing series to differentiate between different types of tires. I believe IndyCar has done it for a couple years. The regular tires are fully black while the alternates have red sidewalls.http://www.indycar.c...

To be really pedantic about it, the Golden Gate Bridge is named after the Golden Gate: the two peninsulas with the strait in between. It was called the Golden Gate long before the orange bridge was built in 1938.

Those shirts are probably only new to the site, but it’s uni-related, so I had to post.

Ed Hughes|
March 25, 2011 at 1:21 pm |

Regarding the ump’s matte finish mask, Jonas Hiller’s plain black mask this year (Anaheim Ducks) has at least a semi-matte finish, especially noticeable when compared to the ultra high-gloss finish of other NHL masks.

“THE first uniform the New York Mets had made was tailored for Charles Dillon Stengel and shipped posthaste to the manager at his Glendale (Calif.) estate for promotional pictures. Casey was as delighted with it as a small boy who had just received a cowboy suit for Christmas. He wouldn’t take it off.”

At the very least, it does appear that Zimmer was among the first to wear a uniform, though. He was the first regular fielder to report to 1962’s Spring Training in St. Petersburg (he lived there), and was photographed by UPI in the road grays on or before February 12th. This was barely three weeks after Casey Stengel showed off the prototype uniform drawing to the New York press.

Checking the St. Petersburg Times of Feb 12, 1962, it shows Zim and Bob Miller modeling the new Mets uniforms. The caption states that they both are St. Pete residents and the new uniforms arrived “yesterday” which would be Feb 11th.

I wanted to post this amazing story that many of my friends are sending me about WVU, and West Virginia in general. It’s a very good representation of how we Mountaineers feel about sports in our state and also how we hate it that so many people don’t understand that we’re not from “western Virginia”. It counts as uni-related because it mentions Huggie-Bear’s track suit.

we hate it that so many people don’t understand that we’re not from “western Virginia”

~~~

you say that like it’s a bad thing

Coleman|
March 25, 2011 at 2:41 pm |

I’m not saying being from western Virginia is a bad thing. The part we hate is that they don’t understand we are our own state. It’s almost as though schools aren’t teaching US History/geography any longer.

Chris Holder|
March 25, 2011 at 4:58 pm |

As a former GIS/geography major in college, I can pretty much say… they aren’t. There’s a lot of ignorant people when it comes to geography.

Ricko|
March 25, 2011 at 6:03 pm |

I once read that something like 70 percent of Americans can’t locate Chicago on a blank U.S. map.

—Ricko

Ricko|
March 25, 2011 at 6:04 pm |

And, no, I don’t know how many of them were from Chicago.

Coleman|
March 25, 2011 at 6:06 pm |

Not knowing where Chicago is located is almost acceptable to me compared to not knowing that an entire state exists.

Anyone else notice the suttle change made to the Buffalo Bills logo that was just released for the 2011 NFL Draft? There’s a “zig-zag” line now across the top of the buffalo. Not exactly sure with that’s just the design of the hat or why the Bills would add that. Guess we will see.

That’s right, that WLAF helmet cam was amazing, it usually lasted only a half before the collisions destroyed the picture. The on field audio from that cam blew away even what we hear today. Since some of the language was foul, we usually heard it only on the USA telecasts. The helmet cam was rotated each week to a different position on the field.

With today’s technology one would think the durability of the helmet cam would be good enough to last the whole game and deliver incredible video.

When I was at the NFL Hall of Fame in the late 90s, they had one of those old WLAF camera equipped helmets on display.

KT|
March 26, 2011 at 1:14 am |

Helmetcam players during the first season of what was then the WLAF in 1991:

What? Obviously that’s a prototype, but was that just trotted out at Soxfest or something and they decided not to have them made up? Or did they actually have them made up for the team and then change their minds about wearing them?

Damn… I’m a huge White Sox fan, went to most of the home post-season games in 2005, went to the ring ceremony game… and even I never heard about them.

I’ll ask around on the White Sox board I frequent…

Kevin Wos|
March 25, 2011 at 5:24 pm |

That’s not even the right Army helmet. They only had the helmet numbers in 2008.

JTH|
March 25, 2011 at 5:47 pm |

Well, at least they got the jorts right.

Coleman|
March 25, 2011 at 7:50 pm |

Can anyone tell if that kid from UNC is wearing his Jordan’s tonight?

Oakville Endive|
March 25, 2011 at 8:15 pm |

I’m watching the Richmond / Kansas game = this should be exhibit A – as to why regionals should be played in proper basketball/hockey areans – esthetically the back drop is awful – the place looks relatively empty.

Gusto44|
March 25, 2011 at 8:41 pm |

Marquette’s performance tonight must be payback for the awful decision to abandon the Warriors nickname. Marquette could have easily kept the Warriors nickname while substituting the indian connection.

LI Phil|
March 25, 2011 at 8:53 pm |

Marquette’s performance tonight must be payback for the awful decision to abandon the Warriors nickname.

First Grey Cup I remember, 1981. When JC Watts and company *almost* beat mighty Edmonton.http://www.youtube.c...
Loved the simple R on the Rough Riders’ helmets.

Ricko|
March 25, 2011 at 10:56 pm |

More great old CFL unis (some pretty amazing), QBs wearing numbers in the 80s, and I’ll bet you can’t guess who Bud Grnat says is the greatest football player he’s ever been associated with…http://www.youtube.c...

Jim Vilk|
March 25, 2011 at 11:14 pm |

Would have guessed Joe Kapp, but then again they weren’t together until they came to Minnesota. Seen some of this on other videos, but the production on this one is simply awesome.

LI Phil|
March 26, 2011 at 12:54 am |

who was the guy who died within the past year? wore like 93 or something?